Conjugating Latin Verbs — All Tenses and Conjugations
Conjugating Latin verbs is one of the most important fundamentals of Latin instruction. A single Latin verb form reveals the person, number, tense, mood, and genus verbi—all at once. This makes them complex, but also elegant.
In this article, you’ll learn: the 4 conjugations and how to tell them apart, all 6 tenses with their identifying morphemes, the active and passive voices, important irregular verbs—and how the Lapicida Verb Module speeds up your conjugation practice. This article is part of Lapicida’s “Learn Latin” section—with the Lapicida learning method, you’ll learn verb forms more efficiently than with tables alone.
What is the conjugation of Latin verbs?
Latin verb conjugation is the variation of a verb according to person (1st/2nd/3rd), number (singular/plural), tense (present to future II), mood (indicative/subjunctive), and voice (active/passive). The dictionary lists 4 stem forms: 1st sing. pres., infinitive, 1st sing. perf., past participle. The infinitive determines the conjugation class.
| Conjugation | Infinitive ending | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Conjugation (a-conjugation) | -āre | laudāre | to praise |
| 2nd conjugation (e-conj.) | -ēre | monēre | to admonish |
| 3rd conjugation (consonantal) | -ĕre (short) | regere | to steer |
| 3b. Mixed conjugation | -ĕre + i-extension | capere | to take |
| 4th Conjugation (i-conjugation) | -īre | audīre | to hear |
💡 Mnemonic: Long vowel before -re (laudāre, monēre, audīre) = 1st, 2nd, or 4th conjugation. Short -e- (regere) = 3rd conjugation. The dictionary lists the infinitive: the vowel there determines the conjugation class.
More blog posts on this topic:
Determining the Latin Verb Form — in 4 Steps
Step 1: Determine the conjugation class
Look up the verb in the dictionary: 1st form (present tense), 2nd form (infinitive). The infinitive reveals the conjugation class. Example: amo, amare → 1st conjugation (ending in -are).
Step 2: Identify the tense marker
Each tense has a characteristic marker: present tense = present stem; imperfect tense = -ba-; future I = -bi-/-bo- (1st/2nd conjugations) or -a-/-e- (3rd/4th conjugations); perfect = perfect stem + -i; PQP = perfect stem + -era-; future II = perfect stem + -eri-.
Step 3: Identify the person and number
Personal endings: 1st sing. -o/-m, 2nd sing. -s, 3rd sing. -t, 1st plur. -mus, 2nd plur. -tis, 3rd plur. -nt. In the passive: 1st sing. -r, 2nd sing. -ris, 3rd sing. -tur, 1st plur. -mur, 2nd plur. -mini, 3rd plur. -ntur.
Step 4: Check the mood (indicative or subjunctive?)
Indicative = statement about real facts. Subjunctive = wish, possibility, conditionality (after cum, ut, ne, in indirect questions). Distinguishing feature: Change in the stem vowel (e.g., laud-e-t instead of laud-a-t in the present subjunctive).
i-conjugation and mixed conjugation — capere and audire
Not all verbs follow the four standard conjugations. Two special cases appear in every school textbook: the mixed conjugation (3rd conjugation -io: capere, facere, fugere) and the i-conjugation (4th conjugation: audire, venire, sentire). The infinitive reveals which conjugation a verb belongs to: a short -ere for the mixed conjugation, a long -īre for the true i-conjugation.
| Person | capere (mixed) to take | audīre (i-conjugation) to hear |
|---|---|---|
| 1st sing. | cap·i·ō I take | aud·ī·ō I hear |
| 2nd person singular | cap·i·s you take | aud·ī·s you hear |
| 3rd person singular | cap·i·t he/she takes | aud·i·t he/she hears |
| 1st pl. | cap·i·mus we take | aud·ī·mus we hear |
| 2nd pl. | cap·i·tis you take | aud·ī·tis you hear |
| 3rd pl. | cap·i·unt they take | aud·i·unt they hear |
Understand Latin instead of cramming — try it right now.
Common student mistake: The 1st sing. (capiō / audiō) and 3rd pl. (capiunt / audiunt) look the same in both cases. The difference is evident in the middle forms: the i-conjugation retains the long ī (audīs, audīmus, audītis), while the mixed conjugation has a short i (capis, capimus, capitis).
Conjugating *imperare* — Present tense of the a-conjugation
imperāre (to command) follows the regular a-conjugation—formed according to the pattern of laudāre. Important: imperāre takes the dative (Cui imperat? — To whom does he command?). In contrast to the perfect tense imperāvī (a single command), the imperfect tense imperābam—the past continuous—describes a continuous or repeated command in the past.
| Person | imperāre (+ dative) |
|---|---|
| 1st sing. | imper·ō I command |
| 2nd sing. | imper·ā·s you command |
| 3rd sing. | imper·a·t he/she commands |
| 1st pl. | imper·ā·mus we command |
| 2nd pl. | imper·ā·tis you (pl.) command |
| 3rd pl. | imper·a·nt they command |
Conjugating Latin Verbs — The Most Important Tables
Present Active — a comparison of all 4 conjugations
| Person | laudare (1.) | monere (2.) | regere (3.) | audire (4th) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sing. | laudo | moneo | rego | audio |
| 2nd person singular | laudas | mones | regis | audis |
| 3rd person singular | laudat | monet | regit | audit |
| 1st pl. | laudamus | monemus | regimus | audimus |
| 2nd pl. | laudatis | monetis | regitis | auditis |
| 3rd pl. | laudant | monent | regunt | audiunt |
The 6 Tempora — Signal and Education
| Tempus | Signal | Example (laudare) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present | Present tense stem | laudat | he praises (now) |
| Imperfect | -ba- | laudabat | he was praising (continuously) |
| Future I | -b-/-bi- | laudabit | he will praise |
| Perfect | Perfect stem + -i | laudavit | he has praised |
| Pluperfect | Perfect stem + -era- | laudaverat | he had praised |
| Future II | Perfect stem + -eri- | laudaverit | he will have praised |
Note on the Future I in the 3rd and 4th conjugations: Instead of -b-/-bi-, -a-/-e- appears here: reget (not regebit). The -b- is only used in the 1st and 2nd conjugations.
Conjugation classes — two example verbs each
| Class | Distinguishing vowel | Example Verbs |
|---|---|---|
| 1st conjugation | -ā- (long) | laudāre, imperāre |
| 2nd conjugation | -ē- (long) | monēre, manēre |
| 3rd conjugation (consonantal) | no linking vowel | mittere, ducere |
| 4th conjugation | -ī- (long) | audīre, venīre |
| Mixed conjugation (3i) | -i- (short, before -ere) | capere, facere |
Irregular Verbs in Latin — You Have to Know These
These verbs appear in every Latin text. They do not follow any conjugation class—their forms must be memorized.
| Verb | Infinitive / Meaning | Present Singular (1st/2nd/3rd) | Special Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| esse | to be | sum, es, est | Completely irregular; Pl.: sumus, estis, sunt |
| posse | to be able to | possum, potes, potest | Compound: pot- + esse |
| velle | to want | volo, vis, vult | Irregular in the present tense; no passive voice |
| nolle | not to want | nolo, non vis, non vult | A combination of non + velle |
| ire | to go | eo, is, it | Short stem; compounds: redire, exire |
| ferre | to carry | fero, fers, fert | No linking vowel epenthesis: fers (not feris) |
| fieri | to become / to happen | fio, fis, fit | Passive of facere; from the perfect: factus sum |
Practice all verbs and forms: in the conjugation trainer and the sentence quiz—customizable by conjugation and tense.
Memorize “esse”: sum — es — est — sumus — estis — sunt. Imperfect: eram, eras, erat…. Future: ero, eris, erit…
The four conjugations in detail (1st–4th)
Latin has four conjugations, told apart by the vowel of the present infinitive. (The mixed 3rd -iō group like capere is a variant of the 3rd, not a fifth conjugation.) The full side-by-side chart lives on the Latin conjugation chart.
1st conjugation (a-conjugation) — amāre
Spot it: the infinitive ends in a long -āre (amāre = to love). The theme vowel a runs through the paradigm.
| Person | amāre |
|---|---|
| I | amō |
| you (sg.) | amās |
| he/she/it | amat |
| we | amāmus |
| you (pl.) | amātis |
| they | amant |
Watch the deceptive -e-: the present subjunctive swaps a for e — amet (“he may love”) — which looks exactly like a 3rd-conjugation future (reget, “he will rule”). Same vowel, different job.
2nd conjugation (e-conjugation) — monēre
Spot it: the infinitive ends in a long -ēre (monēre = to warn). The long ē stays in most forms.
| Person | monēre |
|---|---|
| I | moneō |
| you (sg.) | monēs |
| he/she/it | monet |
| we | monēmus |
| you (pl.) | monētis |
| they | monent |
Watch out: don’t confuse the long -ēre (2nd) with the short -ere (3rd). The 2nd forms its future with -bi- (monēbit), like the 1st.
3rd conjugation (consonant-stem) — regere
Spot it: the infinitive ends in a short -ere (regere = to rule). A short linking vowel is slotted in: regis, regunt.
| Person | regere |
|---|---|
| I | regō |
| you (sg.) | regis |
| he/she/it | regit |
| we | regimus |
| you (pl.) | regitis |
| they | regunt |
Future trap: the 3rd forms its future with -am / -ēs / -et (reget), not with -bit; and “they” is -unt (regunt). Mixed 3rd -iō (capere): capiō, capis, capit, capimus, capitis, capiunt — a variant of the 3rd, not a fifth conjugation.
4th conjugation (i-conjugation) — audīre
Spot it: the infinitive ends in a long -īre (audīre = to hear). The long ī shows up across the paradigm.
| Person | audīre |
|---|---|
| I | audiō |
| you (sg.) | audīs |
| he/she/it | audit |
| we | audīmus |
| you (pl.) | audītis |
| they | audiunt |
Watch out: the 4th (long ī: audīmus) is easy to mix up with the mixed 3rd -iō (short i: capimus). Compare the “we” form. Like the 3rd, the 4th uses -a-/-ē- in the future (audiet).
What are the four Latin conjugations?
The 1st (a-conjugation, -āre: amāre), the 2nd (e-conjugation, -ēre: monēre), the 3rd (consonant-stem, short -ere: regere) and the 4th (i-conjugation, -īre: audīre). The mixed 3rd -iō group (capere) is a variant of the 3rd, not a separate conjugation.
What is the difference between the 3rd and 4th conjugation?
Both use -a-/-ē- in the future, but the infinitive differs: the 3rd has a short -ere (regere) with a short linking vowel (regimus), while the 4th has a long -īre (audīre) and keeps the long ī (audīmus). Compare the “we” form: regimus vs. audīmus.
Common mistakes when conjugating Latin verbs
- Confusing the imperfect with the perfect: laudabat (imperfect) = he was praising (ongoing) vs. laudavit (perfect) = he praised (completed). Indicator for the imperfect = -ba-. Indicator for the perfect = perfect stem + personal endings.
- Incorrect Future I in the 3rd/4th conjugation: reget — not regebit. The -b- only appears in the 1st/2nd conjugation.
- Perfect stem not learned: regere → perfect stem rex- (not regav-). Perfect stem derived from the 3rd stem form in the dictionary.
- Do not know the “esse” forms by heart: sum, es, est, sumus, estis, sunt—this is completely irregular and appears in every text. An absolute must.
- Forgot the passive endings: Passive present: -r, -ris, -tur, -mur, -mini, -ntur. Passive perfect: PPP + esse (laudatus est).
💡 Mnemonic: -ba- = imperfect (continuous, repetitive). Perfect stem + -i = perfect (completed). laudabat = he praised (repeatedly). laudavit = he praised (once, completed). The marker -ba- is found in every imperfect tense—without exception.
Practice conjugating Latin verbs — 4 exercises
Identify the conjugation, tense, person, and number, and translate the verb form.
Exercise 1: Identify: monebant
Solution: monere = 2nd conjugation. Signal -ba- = imperfect. Ending -nt = 3rd person plural. Translation: they were admonishing (continuously).
Exercise 2: Form the 3rd-person singular active perfect tense of regere (perfect stem: rex-).
Solution: Perfect stem rex- + 3rd-person singular perfect ending -it = rexit. Translation: he ruled (had ruled).
Exercise 3: Identify: laudatus erat
Solution: PPP laudatus + erat (3rd sing. imperfect of esse) = pluperfect passive. Translation: he had been praised.
Exercise 4: Form the 1st person singular present tense of “esse.”
Solution: esse = irregular. 1st person singular present: sum. Translation: I am.
Conjugating Latin Verbs — Practice with Active Recall
Understand Latin instead of cramming — try it right now.
Learning Latin — Overview · Lapicida Learning Method — How It Works · ACI Latin Explained Simply · PPP Latin — Perfect Passive Participle · NCI Latin — Nominative with Infinitive · Ablative Absolute — Recognizing and Translating · Passive Voice in Latin — Forms and Translation · Form Trainer — Practice Latin Forms · Sentence Quiz — Analyze Latin Sentences
Frequently Asked Questions About Latin Verb Forms
How many conjugations are there in Latin?
There are 4 main conjugations plus the mixed conjugation: 1st conjugation (-are), 2nd conjugation (-ere long), 3rd conjugation (-ere short), mixed conjugation (e.g., capere), 4th conjugation (-ire). The conjugation class is determined by the infinitive (2nd stem form).
How do I recognize the imperfect tense in Latin?
You can recognize the imperfect by the -ba- marker between the stem and the personal ending: laudabat (he praised), monebat (he admonished), regebat (he guided). The imperfect expresses a continuous or repeated action in the past.
What is the difference between the perfect and imperfect tenses in Latin?
The imperfect tense expresses a continuous or repeated action (“he praised again and again”). The perfect tense expresses a completed action (“he praised / he had praised” = a single occurrence). Marker: Imperfect = -ba-; Perfect = perfect stem + -i/-isti/-it…
How do I form the passive voice in Latin?
Passive present/imperfect/future: Add personal endings -r, -ris, -tur, -mur, -mini, -ntur to the active stem. Passive Perfect: PPP (agreeing with the subject) + esse (laudatus sum = I was praised). Passive PQP: PPP + esse Imperfect (laudatus eram).
How do you conjugate “esse” in Latin?
"esse" is completely irregular: Present tense: sum, es, est, sumus, estis, sunt. Imperfect: eram, eras, erat… Future: ero, eris, erit… Perfect: fui, fuisti, fuit… "esse" must be memorized.
What is the “second past” in Latin?
The “second past tense” from German class corresponds to the pluperfect in Latin: It expresses an action that was completed before another past action. Marker: Perfect stem + -era-: laudav-era-t = he had praised. Similarly: The German simple past (“he praised”) corresponds to the imperfect in Latin (marker -ba-: laudabat).
